Fighting Darkness
by cami12k
Summary: Nico shouldn't have been nervous. He had fought many monsters, and yet, the son of Apollo made his heart beat faster than the monsters had. Will Solace was just a friend. But with his gorgeous smile, caring attitude, and bright eyes, Nico couldn't help but to want him for himself. And that night, Nico couldn't help but to think that maybe, just maybe, Will Solace wanted him, too.
1. Chapter 1

Nico shouldn't have been nervous. He had Shadow-traveled the Athena Parthenos across the world, he had used the Sceptor of Diocletian to summon an undead army; twice, he was the son of Hades!

And yet, his heart seemed to stutter in his chest, like it was either going to jump out of his body through his throat, or bounce around in his stomach and make him sick. He already felt sick.

He was just a friend. Will Solace was just a friend. He was helping a friend. He had bought snacks from a nearby dollar store, driven by none other than Jules-Albert. Jules-Albert wasn't a great conversationalist, his full attention was directed on the road, which had given Nico time to think. These days, Nico had way too much time to think.

It was during this free time spent enveloped in thought when he thought of that damn boy. Clear blue eyes, a mop of sun-kissed hair to go along with his tanned body, the way his lips moved while forming different words... No. Nico did not have a crush. Not by a long shot. No, they were just friends. Just friends.

He tried to convince himself of that very fact as he marched to the infirmary, his head held high, a plastic grocery bag swinging from his hand, bouncing off of his knee every once in a while. It shouldn't have hurt as much as it did.

He was still weak from the shadow traveling, and bruises were randomly and rapidly forming all over his body. Being stuck in the infirmary was boring, even though Will checked in frequently, the time they spent together wasn't nearly enough. He had snuck out to get the snack without telling Will, or telling anyone, really.

It was late at night, he didn't know which Apollo kid was on duty, even though Will was almost always in the infirmary. He had wondered, on more than one occasion, if Will ever slept. He was like a sun-tanned, doctor version of superman. Nico's thoughts were drawn to a sudden halt as the door to the infirmary swung open, revealing the muscular frame of Will.

He was wearing a white doctor coat, which the Hermes offspring had generously gave him. It started off as a joke, to symbolize him being mr. Super Doctor, but the look had stuck with him, and no one complained when he started wearing it as he attended to the wounded. His hair was ruffled, it was usually never messed up unless Will was nervous, mad, angry, sad, any emotion that set him on edge.

"DiAngelo, so help me." He growled out, stalking towards the boy. He stopped inches away from him, setting Nico's heartbeat off, his pulse racing, throat tightening. Nico did nothing as Will grabbed his shoulders.

"You had me worried. You had me so worried that I was going to go to Chiron or Jason... Or Piper... Or anyone! I thought you left." Will said bluntly, there was a raw fear, an untamed panic in his usually bright eyes. Nico looked up at him, stunned. He didn't think that Will would freak out like that. Will, the easy going, care free, happy-go-lucky son of Apollo.

"I wouldn't leave you." Nico managed choke out. He could barely even say that, with his hands resting on his shoulders like that, gentle but firm. His eyes were drawn to Will's beautiful, full-but-not-too-full lips, pink and perfect. His strong nose, slightly crooked from the fight that happened just a few days ago. His eyes, usually dancing with laughter, held grave severity.

There were dark rings beneath his eyes, showing that he hadn't had enough sleep. Or, any, for that matter. His eyelashes were long and light, almost shining in the dim light provided by the moon shining on the two of them. His hair stuck out at odd angles, which usually wasn't the case.

"Don't... Just don't." Will said before letting go of him, storming back into the infirmary. Nico followed, distracted. The flicker of pain as he spoke hurt Nico physically, there was an ache in his heart.

Will gestured to Nico's assigned cot, a scowl on his perfect face. They were far enough away from the sleeping patients that they could talk. Nico sat down on the cot, looking up at Will.

"I got you something." Nico murmured. He chose that moment to look down at his shoes, his face heating as he held out the plastic bag like a peace offering. Will snatched it from him and peaked inside, his scowl turning into a grin. Nico snuck a look at him, he was grinning ear to ear.

"Soda, sun chips, Sunny D? Gods, Nico. This is perfect." Will said, his eyes glittering.

"I thought that you would like-" before Nico could finish his sentence, he could feel himself enveloped in a warm hug. Muscled arms surrounded him, looping around his small body. Nico couldn't breathe. Will smelled like sunshine. Was that possible? No, he couldn't smell like sunshine, because Nico hated sunshine.

No... He smelled like a summer day. One of those days when you would take a walk outside and realize the beauty of the sunlight. The crisp, almost orange smell. It was so pure and clean, mixed with the scent of the sterile hospital and something completely Will, something all his own. Warm and friendly and inviting. Nico breathed in deeply, inhaling more of the scent. A laugh rippled through the muscular body holding his.

"Hey, death boy, did you just sniff me? Do I really smell that bad?" Will asked teasingly, pulling away slightly to look down at him. His gaze settled on Nico, and his heart skipped a beat. Or more. He couldn't tell, he was too busy looking up at the hunky demigod.

"Hey, Nico, are you okay? You seem a little flustered. Do you have a fev-" The son of Hades stumbled away, shaking his head quickly. He swallowed nervously, his throat dry. It felt like he swallowed sandpaper.

"I'm fine! Go... Go sleep." Nico stuttered, on the other side of the bed. His posture was defensive, as if he could fend away his feelings for the golden demigod.

"Sleep? Nico, what are you talking about?" Will asked, his eyebrow quirked. Nico noticed that habit of his, the raising of an eyebrow when he was curious, puzzled, or thinking.

He made him angry. Nico had always gotten angry easily, but now, he was furious. How dare he march around, playing high and mighty doctor! He was so hypocritical! 'Get enough sleep', 'Rest often', 'Conserve your powers', 'Don't wear yourself out' and 'Don't push your limits'.

"Solace, you are a hypocritical bastard. You haven't slept in days! You can barely keep your eyes open! You keep pushing yourself, but you have to sleep! You have to cut yourself some slack! I'm sick of it, Solace. It's like that mortal phrase, the pot calling the can black or whatever..." Nico yelled. He couldn't help it, he was irrationally angry.

Will didn't move, he stood there, looking as if he had been slapped, but he stayed. No one else would've stuck around when the son of Hades looked so on the edge of a murder attempt. Nico knew what he looked like, too. Clenched fists, bobbing Adam's apple, his pale skin flushed with anger, his eyes dark.

"Nico, sit down." Will coaxed. Nico couldn't, he couldn't sit down. Something was wrong. He could only destroy, he felt destruction flowing through his veins, coming from his heart. He was darkness. He was what nightmares were made of. He was the person who people feared. He was one with the shadows.

He realized, too late, that his body was radiating a dark aura, his hands were disappearing and reappearing, along with most of his body. Nico let out a startled scream of pain as the darkness ripped through him. He held his hands in front of him, and blasted clear through the window. He had never seen it before, the dark power that shot from his palms, but it burned.

Nico couldn't see straight, he fell to his knees until the energy stopped coming from him, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"Nico..." Will's smooth but panic-stricken voice was the last thing that he had heard before passing out cold, the world fading into darkness.

(( Author's Note: Okay guys, this is one of my first stories. I'm nervous about it. Please comment, tell me what I did wrong, what I can improve on, anything really. I don't know if I should post the next chapter or not, it depends on how many people like it. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

When he slept, he could usually direct where he wanted his dreams to end up. Not as well as the Hypnos kids, but enough so that he steered clear of nightmares for the most part, like a fast forward button. This time, there was not a fast forward button. It was like all control in his mind was gone. Someone was dragging him downwards, he felt like he was dropping down into the earth, deeper and deeper. He had no time to scream, and suddenly, he was in the underworld.

Being a child of Hades had its perks, like being able to tell when you were dead. Nico was dead. He could feel it; he was cold and not breathing, kneeling in front of his father's throne, his head bowed.

"Rise, my son." His father's voice filled the throne room; most people would find his father scary. Nico, at one point in time, had even thought his father to be intimidating. Now, his father was a comforting presence. He wasn't exactly okay with his father yet, they had a lot to talk about, but at least he had talked to his dad. He knew that he cared for him in an odd, sort of fatherly way, and he appreciated the effort.

Nico stood up and looked around. Persephone wasn't there, she was above ground, since it was still summer. Her throne sat empty, the flowers wilted. His dad's throne was large and pure black. He noticed that the throne room was remodeled, to… Nico wanted to laugh. Almost the same design as the church they had met in, made from monk bones. Hades let a small smile slip through his usually foreboding appearance.

"Do you like it?" Hades asked curiously. Nico grinned and shook his head.

"I didn't know if you were seriously considering it. It definitely looks… underworld-ly." Nico admitted, looking up at his father.

"There is a problem." The King of the Underworld stated, his attitude shifting back to grim. It made him nervous. Why was he dead? What happened to him? What were they going to talk about? The last thing he remembered was Will… looking hurt. He had hurt Will! He hurt Will with his words. The look on his face, it flashed through Nico's mind continuously, like it was stuck on repeat.

"I know that I'm dead, but… Can you somehow get the message to Will that I'm sorry? Please? Just tell him that I'm really sorry." Nico pleaded. He felt tears pool in his eyes.

"And tell Hazel that she can still visit me, okay? Tell her to stay with Frank because Frank is a good guy." Nico finally stopped talking when he noticed that his father stayed silent. Nico waited for him to speak, but he didn't for a while, he just studied his son, his face an emotionless mask. Finally, he spoke.

"Who is this Will character you speak of?" Hades asked. Nico swallowed nervously, feeling sweat pool on his forehead. His hand came up to wipe it away impatiently, a scowl on his face. He was dead, standing at the foot of his father's throne, and yet, they were talking about boys? It was ridiculous. Even so, he felt his face heating up.

"He is none of your business. We are friends, if you must know." Nico said impatiently. His father seemed to detect the lie, though, and continued to inspect him with a look of deep thought. It made him nervous, Nico shifted slightly.

"You have a crush on him." Hades finally decided. Nico could feel his face turning into the same shade of red as blood.

"D-Dad! I'm dead, and here we are, discussing my love life?!" He stuttered out, staring up at his dad as if he were crazy.

"It doesn't matter, anyway. I'm dead. There's nothing I can do about it. I'm never going to see him ever again." Nico growled angrily, glaring at his dad. What was going on? Why did he need to have a father-to-son talk when he was dead?

"You aren't exactly dead. I just summoned you down here, so we can talk. Not about boys, either, even though I have a lot to say on that subject. I summoned you down here because I need to tell you before anyone else does. You are in a prophecy." Hades spoke seriously, his posture tense on the throne.

"A prophecy? About me? You have to be kidding. Please tell me that you are kidding with me." Nico said, his eyes wide. His dad didn't look very kidding.

"The last time you shadow travelled; it wasn't good for you, Nico. Do you know who Erebus is?" Hades asked. Nico shook his head.

"No idea. Is he a God? Titan?" Nico asked, raising his eyebrow. He was thoroughly sick of Gods and Titans sticking their noses in other people's business.

"He was one of the first primordial deities in existence, born of Chaos. He is the father of Aether, Hemera, the Hesperides, Hypnos, the Moirai, Geras, Styx, Charon, and Thanatos." His father explained, as if he were giving a history lesson to a group of students. But that was not, sadly, the case. He was the lord of the underworld, telling his dead son about a life-threatening deity that was most likely out for Nico's blood.

"What does that have to do with me?" He asked, getting impatient with his dad.

"He is the ruler of the shadows, not I. Offspring of mine are able to shadow travel because of an old agreement between the two of us. It is very dangerous, because he never agreed to grant you safe passage, just passage in general. Because of your frequent travel, a part of him has… latched itself onto you. You intrigue him. If a demigod travels that much in such a short amount of time, Nico, it gives him more access to you. He lives in you even now, as we speak." Hades said softly, something like remorse in his cold, distant eyes.

"Is that why I keep getting angry? I got irrationally mad at Will earlier for no reason, and everything just bothers me more than it should. It's usually like that, but now… It's heightened. I lost control of my body and I shot this darkness out of my hands, it shot straight through the wall. I haven't done that before." Nico stated. Everything seemed to make sense now.

"Yes, the bruises, too, they are just your body reacting to the intrusion." Hades explained. Nico's form started to flicker.

"Wait? Wait, please, tell me more! Please, what am I going to do?" He asked hurriedly.

"Don't give into the temptation or he will overwhelm you and take control of your body. Go to the Romans, Ella knows. Good luck, Nico, you're going to need it. Oh, and don't tell anyone about this little get together. It's kind of illegal." Hades smiled, actually smiled as he watched his son disappear.

Waking up to Will's tear stricken face made Nico want to die all over again. He caused that pain. He had caused his crush to cry, to look so broken and helpless. Nico coughed, his eyes flashing open, and Will gasped, his eyes lighting up.

"Oh my Gods, I thought that you were dead." Will stuttered, holding back a sob of relief.

"Can't kill death, aye?" Nico joked, cocking a smile, but he was obviously weak. Nico noticed that he was sprawled out on a cot, and Will was… Was Will Solace really on top of him? This had to be some crazy, distorted, twisted dream.

"Nico, you had me worried sick. What in the world happened?!" Will asked, brushing his tears away. Most men would be embarrassed or ashamed of crying in front of someone else, but Will didn't seem to even notice the fact. He was too focused on Nico to care. Nico decided that he liked that about Will. His goodness, his purity. It balanced out his own darkness. Will told things like he believed them to be, he didn't let other people's views obscure his own. He was stubborn and thought what he wanted to; he would do anything for friends, and he cried in front of Nico, unashamed. He was a beautiful crier. Stupid son of Apollo.

"I'll tell you later…" Nico murmured, a tiredness falling over him. He suddenly just wanted to sleep. Even with a hot guy practically on top of him, he wanted to rest. What was wrong with him?

"Chiron summoned us for a meeting, it's about New Rome. Not sure what about New Rome. I had someone go for me, so they can tell us later. Are you sure that you're okay to sleep?" Will asked. He was obviously uncomfortable with not knowing what was wrong with Nico. It had never happened before, Nico could tell. Health was his specialty, and he was clueless as to what happened to Nico.

"We are definitely talking after you wake up, death boy." Will said it like a threat. Nico mumbled something indecipherable before his eyes fluttered closed. Will was relieved to find that he still had a pulse.

(( Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! Keep them coming? I want to know how I did, what you like, dislike, anything and everything!


	3. Chapter 3

((Author's note: kissing scene towards the end. Be prepared, you can skip it if you want))

Nico woke up after a few days. Yeah, he slept for days. As he awoke, he noticed Will, sitting propped up in a chair next to him. He was asleep, Nico was happy for that, but he still looked overworked. With a small glance, he figured out a few things. Same cot, same sheets, same bedside table. The hole in the wall was new, though.

Had he done that? He searched through his memories, remembering when he got angry at Will. His conversation with his dad came flooding into his brain, and he winced. He was harboring some super powerful deity in him. Fun.

Nico wondered if he could talk to him. Even so, what would he say? 'Hey buddy, what's up? You like it in my body? Yes? Well that's too bad now, isn't it? Because you kind of have to leave. Sorry!' Nico doubted that would go down smoothly. Wait; did this guy know what he was thinking? Nico prayed to the Gods that he didn't. That would be horrible.

Someone came bursting in through the door, in a purple t-shirt and jeans. Even with her back turned, he knew who the braided hair and rigid posture belonged to.

"Reyna?" He called out, curious as to why she was there. She turned, took one look at him, and frowned. He knew from experience that there was much more going on inside of that head of hers. He could see clearly through the defensive wall she had put up by now. Something was wrong.

"Nico? Gods, are you okay?" She asked, walking quickly over to his cot. She crossed her arms and stood over him, assessing the damage.

"What happened? I tell Chiron to take care of you, and next thing you know, he's sending me some Iris message about you dying? So I had to leave camp and come check on you." She said, sounding annoyed and unsure at the same time.

Nico was astounded, and the look was clearly written across his features. She came from New Rome just for him? Someone did something for him? He was suspicious, but Reyna meant it. She was actually worried about him. The thought of someone caring that much made his heart hurt a little. Bianca was the last person who cared about him that much. Sure, Hazel did, too, but she had so many other people to care about. It never bothered him; he had realized that few people even knew he existed, so someone caring for him was a pretty impressive feat.

Reyna had a lot of people to care about. She was a Praetor. Nico imagined that being Praetor meant automatically having to care about everyone else. No one else had cared that much about her, though. He knew that her sister had used her for bait. He knew that her father had been crazy and abusive. He knew that she had tried with Jason and Percy, and that didn't work out, either. Nico decided that he would be the person to care about Reyna. She deserved it. Caring about someone meant showing them you care. She was obviously freaking out, so he would comfort her, because that was what friends did.

"Hey, I'm okay now. Don't worry." He said softly, propping himself up on his elbows. Before he knew what was happening, he was enveloped in the praetor's arms, being squeezed tightly.

"Don't ever die again. If you do, I might have to kill you." She threatened. Nico let out a small laugh. It was something that he found himself doing a lot more lately, laughing. In Will's presence, it was the most. Every corny joke made him want to laugh, but he usually refrained.

It could have been a few seconds or a few minutes, Nico lost track of time. Reyna just held on to him until they heard a throat being cleared from the doorway. A roman camper, Michael Kahale, took up the whole doorway with his broad shoulders and tall frame. If there was a way to be overly muscular, Michael had found it. What, did that kid do a million pushups every day?

"Reyna, we have to tell Chiron soon and get the transports ready." Michael's voice was deep and masculine. Almost like Will's, but Will's voice belonged in the heavens. Low, masculine, melodious, it sounded like what he imagined honey to sound like.

Reyna pulled away, her eyes glistening. Nico risked a small, friendly smile. She returned it.

"Don't forget about your own happiness." Nico reminded her sternly. He knew how she operated, everyone above herself.

"I could say the same for you, son of Hades. We will meet again, soon enough." She said, and within a moment she was gone, the door shutting gently.

Nico rested his head on the hard, sterilized backboard of the bed, exhaling softly. It was odd; he was both relieved and disappointed that Reyna had left. Being nice to someone and actually trying to care was tough work. It's not that he never cared; he cared about a few people. It was just hard for Nico to show that he cared and actually enjoyed a person's company. It was hard for Nico to show any emotion, in all honesty.

If he had to explain it, he would call it being underwater. Like everyone else was above water, and he was stuck underwater. Underwater, everything was slow and muted, garbled, he watched everyone have fun while he stayed in the no emotion zone.

Nico could feel eyes on him. He turned his head to the side, and was met with the accusing glare of Will Solace, from the chair near his bed. He didn't know how much of the conversation that Will had overheard, he was obviously angry about something that was said between the Praetor and himself.

"Do you have a crush on her?" Will asked calmly. The calm was all a lie, like it was before a storm. He was holding back, trying to keep his anger back. What was that about? Will was obviously clueless to the fact that Nico was falling head over heels for him.

"Why do you care if I like her?" Nico asked defensively. He wanted to know what Will thought. If Will liked him, they would know by this conversation. Of course, Nico did not have a crush on Reyna, by a long-shot. She was pretty, smart, strong, and witty, but he didn't really have a thing for girls.

"You can't possibly have a crush on her!" Will said quickly.

"Why? Why can't I have a crush on her?" Nico pushed for the answer that he was dying to hear. He needed to hear that Will Solace liked him back, that Will Solace was actually gay, too. Will got up, pushing the chair back as he stormed to the door. His hand gripped the doorknob, his knuckles white from holding on so tight.

"Solace." Nico said softly, but his voice held an untapped power within it. Enough power that Will turned around. Nico's voice caught in his throat, what was he going to say?

"I'm gay." Nico managed to blurt out. What kind of pickup line was that? It would've been romantic if he said something like, 'I've had a crush on you since I met you.' It would've been smooth if he simply said, 'Kiss me.' It would've been smooth and romantic if he beckoned Will over and just kissed him out of nowhere. But no, he was cursed with a knack for messing things up. Will probably hated him now. No more friendship, no flirting or talking or looking for Nico.

"Stand up." Will commanded, his voice lower than usual. Was it from sleep? Anger? Or was it something else entirely? Nico desperately wanted to know. He obeyed, scrambling out of bed, standing up. He felt pretty good for temporarily dying. The bruises were the only thing bothering him, and that pain as forgotten as Will's gaze settled on him. His look was appraising and predatory at the same time.

"Come over here." Will murmured, still standing by the doorframe. Nico didn't know what to feel, excited or scared. He decided on a mixture of both. He moved to stand in front of Will, looking up at the taller boy.

"Have you had your first kiss yet?" Will asked quietly. Nico could tell that he was struggling with something, his muscles strained and jaw clenched.

"No." Nico admitted, a blush drifting across his face. In Italy, he was too young and his sister was too protective. In the hotel, he was way too young. At the school he was put in to, his sister was still protective over him, and he was too occupied playing mythomagic to notice much else besides how many attack points each monster and god had. Then, he was whisked off on some magical adventure with demigods, his sister died, and his idol, Percy Jackson, became something more than a hero. He became Nico's first crush. Finding his way out of Tartarus was horrible and scarring. The only kiss he would be able to acquire there was if a monster puckered up, and thankfully, no monster was that crazy. The boy standing in front of Nico was no monster.

In one swift movement, Nico was pushed against the closed door, Will pinning him, gently. Will was close, so close. A few inches away, at least.

"Would you do me the honor of allowing me to be your first kiss?" Will asked politely. Nico swallowed and nodded quickly, not trusting his own voice.

Their first kiss was slow and careful. It made Nico feel like he was heating up, the warmth from Will's lips spreading throughout his own body, moving lazily. Nico could barely breathe; he was encased in Will's firm embrace, their mouths moving together in sync. Their lips fit perfectly, just like their bodies did when they were pressed against each other.

Their second kiss was… interesting. Nico and Will had both leaned in at the same time, and managed to smack their heads together. They both staggered back, clutching their heads. Nico felt a bruise forming on his forehead, his head pounding painfully. Will didn't seem much better; he clutched his, now red, forehead.

"Listen, Solace, I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone and you can live your life like normal. I won't bother you and you can get a girlfriend," Nico was cut off mid-sentence by Will's lips against his own, hard and insistent. This kiss was the exact opposite of their last kiss. Heated and passionate, like Will was trying to tell Nico something without actually speaking. It was working, partially. He felt wanted, needed even. They were starving, and only found food in each other's lips. Nico's arms were wrapped around Will's neck; he was too distracted to move them. Will, on the other hand, seemed all too aware. His hands were everywhere, leaving trails of hot fire flooding through his veins, invading his body. Nico was naturally cold, but now, he couldn't help but to feel like he was burning, melting. His legs felt weak, like he couldn't support his own weight without Will holding him.

Will's wandering hands ran down Nico's chest, and he flinched. The bruises were still there, and judging by the pain that a gentle movement caused, they were getting worse. Will noticed immediately and pulled away, his lips pressed together in thought.

"Take your shirt off." Will said, and from his tone of voice, it left no room for discussion. Nico took a moment to look at Will. Flushed, breathing heavily, eyes darker than usual. His bright yellow shirt was wrinkled and in disarray, his hair messed up. Nico sat up slowly and pulled his shirt off.

Nico knew what he looked like without his shirt. Scrawny, pale, and scarred. Add bruises to the mixture, and he was a total mess. Will's eyes showed his worry for him clearly.

"How did you get these? Why did the ambrosia not work?" Will asked, getting up and rummaging through cabinets. Nico shrugged. He could still taste Will on his lips, it was distracting him.

"They just appeared." It wasn't exactly like a lie; it was part of the truth. The door burst open soon after his sentence, Reyna stalking in, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What's wrong with him?" Reyna asked, jerking her head to Nico. They spoke softly so that Nico couldn't hear a thing, and when they turned back around to face him, they gasped.

"Nico… Don't move." Will warned, his eyes wide, surprised. Reyna had the same look of astonishment, mixed with fear. Nico immediately looked down at his body. His whole ribcage was dark, covered with bruises. There was no white of his skin showing, only the black of the bruises. He felt himself rising, and he lost control again.

He felt his body arch, and a scream of pain rippled through him. He was ripped from his body, his spirit hanging back in the corner. He couldn't move, and was forced to watch as his body rose from the bed. His eyes were pure black, no white, and his teeth were now elongated, pointed. Reyna took a step back, but Will stayed where he was. Nico knew that the deity only had a few minutes in his body, somehow, and for that he was grateful. It couldn't cause that much damage within minutes, right? Nico was fatally wrong about the damage part.

A horrifying laugh rippled from the creature inside of his body, the light flickered off. All the lights in New York went off.

"Daughter of Bellona, do you know what it is like to die?" A voice asked. It wasn't Nico's voice; it was a voice that boomed throughout the camp, like nails on a chalkboard.

((Author's note: leave a review? The more reviews, the more motivated I get. Don't worry about Nico, he's okay for now. I'm not making promises about anyone else. *Evil laughing* Anyway, tell me what is wrong and right, what you like and dislike, what I could improve on, just general thoughts. Thanks to all of you who reviewed, followed, faved, and read!


	4. Chapter 4

Reyna didn't pull out her sword. If it were anyone else, she would pull out her sword. But this was Nico. Nico, who cared but never showed it, who put others in front of himself, who was sweet and shouldn't have been so scarred and depressed. Nico, who was still only fifteen, had been through so much already. He didn't need this. He didn't need yet another thing to add to the long list of tragedies he had endured.

So, for that very reason, Reyna refused to do anything to hurt Nico. The thing that occupied Nico's body flexed its hand, as if it were sore and hadn't moved in a while. Reyna didn't know which God was in him. She was sure that he wasn't even a God. He radiated power; it seemed to pour off of him in waves.

"Get out of his body." Will growled, his posture rigid. Anger was building up in the Son of Apollo quickly, and Reyna was surprised. Will was the sort of person to stand up against bullies, to defend the helpless, sure. But to yell at whatever was possessing Nico's body took real guts. She admired the Roman side of the son of Apollo. Not afraid of confrontation. Ready to fight for what he wanted. And at that moment, Reyna could tell that the thing he wanted was Nico.

The demon's head turned slowly, taking in Will, drinking his appearance in. His gaze was unsettling.

"Ah, son of the sun god. How nice to finally meet you, in person. The boy thinks about you constantly. You're all that is ever in his head. I suppose I will have to get rid of you. It'll help him to listen to me. He's been blocking out my voice for far too long. Now, he will finally be forced to pay attention to me." The voice would make anyone in their right mind flee. Even her Roman soldiers would flee, save a few of the brave ones. Or the foolish ones. Where did that leave her? Reyna wasn't foolish, but she had never considered herself to be brave. She just did what she had to, when she had to do it.

"Son of Apollo, prepare to die." The voice said calmly. Nico, or the monster, or whatever he was, raises his hand, aiming it at Will. He opened his fist, and from the palm of his hand, darkness came out. It was unlike anything that Reyna had ever seen before. It was pure darkness, made of your worst nightmares. If that wasn't scary enough, being hit by the thing was much, much worse.

Reyna knew it as soon as she was hit. She wasn't brave. She was foolish.

Memories flashed back at unusually high speeds, as if on fast forward. She was suddenly whisked back, into her past.

She was twelve years old, watching her dad knock Hylla out. Her body lay limp and lifeless on the ground. Her twelve year old self was both angry and scared. He had killed the only person who protected and loved her. He had killed her sister, and he deserved to die. She felt as if it were happening all over again, grabbing the sword from the wall, murdering her father with it. She saw his body drop to the ground, like it was happening in slow motion. She heard her sister's gasp of surprise from behind her, but she twisted the blade in deeper, determined to finish the job. She watched as the life drained from his eyes. Nothing was said, no sweet words of parting or tearful goodbyes. He had simply died.

The scene played a few more times, until she was a sobbing, broken mess. Just as she thought she couldn't take any more of the scene, her surroundings changed.

The boat swayed, almost tossing the two sisters overboard. It was a nice day, the sun felt out of place. The pirates circled the two young girls, ages twelve and fifteen. She was forced to endure replays of the dirty pirate ship, slaving away, getting whipped and beaten. Much, much worse things occurred on the ship that fateful day that they were captured.

She was sixteen, riding on Scipio, her Pegasus. Her friend of four years. Her trusted companion. Her best friend. After battling a Griffon, it had sunk its claws deep into her battered horse. Scipio had tried to fight it, but the poison was painful and worked all too quickly, dragging the horse out of the sky. They tumbled down in a field, and she had plunged her dagger into Scipio's chest, crying the whole time. It was the humane thing to do, but she still knew that she shouldn't have put the horse through such a painful journey. It was her fault that he was dead.

Her fault.

Her fault.

Her fault.

Her fault.

Everyone dead, because of her.

Reyna immediately collapsed in his arms. She stepped in front of him, to save him. The Praetor hadn't spoken a word to him before. Will ignored the raging thing inside of Nico, as hard as it was, and focused on Reyna. He laid her down on the ground, still in his arms, and knelt, inspecting her. Black crept up her neck and down her arms. It was coming from her chest, Will would find out where exactly later.

Reyna was twisting and squirming, her body shuddering with sobs. They were not normal sobs, no. These sobs were completely different. Terrified. Petrified. Will could sense her pain. He feared that the saying, 'Scared to death.' Would apply to Reyna.

He closed his eyes and pressed his hands against her stomach, concentrating hard on directing his energy into Reyna's lifeless form. It was hard; something blocked his connection to her life. He hummed a hymn to his father hurriedly. It wasn't his best song, but it was something. This girl needed help immediately, no time for long or complicated songs.

Her breath slowed, but she wasn't dying. Her breath all together stopped, and she was not dead. It was almost like hibernation, without being dead. He felt her skin get cold suddenly. It wasn't deathly cold; it felt like she had become a Romansickle. It hurt Will to touch her; he pulled his hand back with a surprised gasp of pain. He feared that he had acquired frost bite just from touching her. That wasn't natural.

He watched, helpless, as something encased her body. Unlike the dark plasma that had shot at her, it was completely solid. He remembered the story of Medusa quite clearly, the snake-headed woman who turned people into statues for her garden.

The story reminded him of Reyna at the moment. It moved at an alarming rate, covering her skin in a thin casing of the stuff. It radiated dark energy, Will felt like he was going to faint just looking at it. There was nothing that he could do for her.

Will got up from his position on the ground. Nico was back to normal, his dark eyes wide, horrified. He scrambled off of the bed, leaning over Reyna.

"No…" Nico mumbled, his body starting to shake. Will watched, helpless. Throughout all of his years alive, he realized quickly that being helpless was the worst feeling in the world. There was nothing he could do. He sat down on the ground beside Nico, his hand coming to rest on his frail back.

"Nico, it's not your fault." Will said quickly. He knew Nico well by now. He would automatically blame himself. He couldn't let that happen.

"Yes, it is. I'm too weak. He came through because I'm weak. Kill me, Will. I want to die, like Reyna." Nico said softly. He was too young to sound so broken. It made Will want to cry. Nico wasn't even crying, he assumed that the boy was still in shock. His pale body shook with sobs that wouldn't surface. His eyes glistened with tears not shed. He was deathly pale, almost green looking. His bottom lip trembled, his throat bobbed, he hugged himself.

"Let it out, Nico. Just let it out. Don't hold back, you've done too much pretending. You don't have to pretend for me." It seemed to do the trick. His emotions were water, and the dam cracked, spilling them haphazardly.

Will held Nico tightly as he sobbed, screamed in frustration, shook like a leaf, hiccupped, cursed, and he even pounded on Will's chest with his fists, hard. Will refused to move, trapping him in his embrace. He knew that Nico needed it. He needed something to hold him together, or else he would fall apart. They stayed like that throughout the night, Will holding him and rocking him back and forth until Nico wore himself out, falling asleep with tears still fresh on his cheeks. Will held him even in his sleep, clutching tightly to the boy.

((Author's note: Thank you guys so much for reading! A huge thanks to people who commented, favorited, and followed! Thank you so much! Please leave reviews, I love it when you fangirl about my story! Tell me what I can improve on, what you liked, what you want to see more of, etc. Next chapter coming soon, possibly in a few hours, depending on how many reviews I get.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day was complete chaos. The Romans who escorted Reyna to camp had called for backup. All of the campers steered clear of Nico. Will was the only one who even looked at Nico. Word had spread quickly about the son of Hades who broke the bond between camps by killing the praetor. The first person who came in was Clarisse LaRue, while Will was running tests on Nico. She was wearing full battle armor, like usual, and was armed to the teeth with weapons. Again, no big surprise there. The scowl on her face wasn't new, either.

"Hey, pipsqueak. I have orders to take you to the cellar. We can make this easy or hard. Your choice. Either way, you're gonna end up in a cell." She said easily, like she was stating the weather or asking about the game last night. Will stood up, looking furious and hot at the same time.

"Who gave you these 'direct orders'?" Will asked, voice hard. He was standing in front of Nico protectively, his tall frame obscuring the son of Hades from view.

"Come on, Solace. You don't need to get involved, too. You can always find another guy to mess around with. He's temporary, and you know it." Clarisse said dangerously. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, reminding them of who had the upper hand in the situation. Will's fists were balled and his body was rigid. He was a tense wire, about to snap.

"I don't understand what you mean." Will said through clenched teeth, taking a half step toward Clarisse. Clarisse took a step too, not ready to be outdone or showed up.

"You know exactly what I mean, Solace. I see the way you look at half of the people at camp. Anyone and everyone who has a pulse, really. You're known to sleep around, sure, but you have to be kidding me. Trying to lure this poor boy in, now? You've dated almost everyone at camp. Now some psychopath you barely know? Classy, Solace. Classy." Clarisse taunted, a smirk on her face.

Nico didn't have a chance to stop him. Clarisse couldn't act fast enough, either. Will was suddenly on top of her, his fists swinging. The son of Hades was too stunned to do anything but stare as the pair rolled around on the floor.

Was Will really using him? Was Will really a player? Their kiss both proved and disproved the fact at the same time. He was skilled at kissing, which meant that he obviously had done it before, who knows how many times. That spark that he felt, he had been sure that Will felt it, too. But now… he wasn't as sure. He wasn't sure at all. Was he just playing him? Had he really ran out of people to flirt with, and gotten desperate? He must've been pretty desperate, to choose the troubled son of Hades. Nico felt useless, discarded.

**_Oh, son of Hades. Who would ever pick you over someone else? You are nothing. People ignore you, you're invisible. No one notices you unless they need something. Your own sister abandoned you when something new came along. Abandoned you for people she barely knew. _**

The sudden voice in Nico's head startled him. He hadn't thought of those things since Tartarus, or at least, he refused to think of those things after Tartarus. Too much pain. It was Erebus.

**_Coward. You will never be anyone's favorite. No one loves you. You can be my favorite, Nico. Join me. We can rule the world together. We can make everybody pay for what they have done to you. Every wrong, righted. You will get finally get the revenge that you deserve. That we deserve._**

That voice didn't belong in his head. It wasn't his, but it had a point. He remembered his dad warning him to stay strong. Don't let it get inside too far, or control you. Nico decided that he wasn't doing a very good job with that. It had possessed him once already, and now it was spitting horrible words into his head, planting seeds of doubt where his trees of trust used to lay. But wait, didn't Hazel love him? Hazel loved him, they were siblings, they were there for each other as long as they had known each other.

**_Then why did she go off to New Rome with her boyfriend, instead of staying here with you? She probably knew that you were dead, Reyna knew. Hazel didn't care enough to leave her boyfriend for her own flesh and blood. She will die, too. With my help, you can kill all who wronged you. We can kill everyone and start the planet anew. Together, son of Hades, we are unstoppable. We will rise to power. All you need to do is let me gain control._**

Nico fought against the voice in his head, but it was already too late. No one cared for him. He was alone in the world. Why shouldn't they destroy, to start again? Everything could be pure. He would make sure that no one felt alone, or useless. That no one was ever hungry or angry, ever sad or depressed. He could make the world so much better. But this was not the way. This monster in him was not going to help him accomplish anything. It was right about Nico being insignificant, but it was not right about letting it take over. The son of Hades refused to hear anything else. He imagined a wall slamming down in his brain, trapping the traitorous thoughts and the crazy deity in the back of his mind, and it worked. The voice stopped.

He finally noticed the fight going on in front of him, after pushing the thoughts away. Will wasn't doing so good. Clarisse was already taller and weighed more than him, without the armor on. With the armor, she was indestructible. Will was on the ground, pinned by her massive body. They were both bloody and partially bruised, but Will was more beat up looking. Blood stained his perfect blonde hair. It made Nico angry, he wanted to rip Clarisse off of Will and give her a taste of her own medicine. He didn't, though. Nico continued to sit on the bed, watching. Why would he save someone who had been using him?

Nico stood up quickly, making him feel dizzy. Why was he doing this? Why wasn't he just letting Will get beat up? It was always like this with Nico. 'Oh, you've been playing me this whole time? You don't really like me? Cool. I'm going to save you now. You still don't like me? That's okay, too.' Nico thought he was over trying to be the heroic type, but apparently not.

"Clarisse, get off of him. I'll go with you, I swear. Just stop fighting." Nico said tiredly. He felt tired of everything. The son of Hades ran his fingers through his messy hair, only managing to make it look crazier.

They both stopped and looked up at him, surprised. They had clearly forgotten that Nico was watching the whole time. More people forgetting his existance.

Clarisse got up slowly, looking ready for another brawl if necessary. No one helped Will as he staggered up, leaning against the counter, panting for breath. His lip was split open and bleeding, his nose most likely broken. Again. His doctor coat was torn and stained red in most places. There was a cut across his stomach. Nico knew that he had a knife in his shorts pocket. Why hadn't he used it, when Clarisse hadn't hesitated to slash him up a few times? Nico decided that Will was either chivalrous or dumb. Maybe he was a mixture of both. He didn't want to think about Will. It would only lead to more pain.

"Nico di Angelo, you are hereby sentenced to living in the cellar until the war council comes to a decision. Until then, anything you say will be held against you." Clarisse recited.

"Is this one of those reality T.V. police shows?" Nico asked under his breath, drifting to her side. Will's blood was on the ground. It made him want to hit Clarisse over the head with her own sword. He refrained from doing so, even as she grabbed his arms and wrestled them behind his back, pushing them into cold, hard metal rings.

"Handcuffs? You can't be serious. Come on, Clarisse, you know that I'm not going to try anything." He protested weakly. She put a hand on his shoulder and escorted him out of the infirmary. Will followed, limping after them, shouting curses and swear words at Clarisse, which she ignored. So far, according to Will, Clarisse would talk in rhyme for months, she would get really bad sun burn, her favorite songs would sound like awful screeching, and she would have really bad sniffles. Nico didn't believe any of it for a minute.

"Stop talking or I'll make sure you stop walking!" She threatened Will, but it was kind of hard to take her seriously when she spoke in rhyme. Will continued to follow after her, yelling, but Clarisse was much faster, even while half-dragging Nico behind her.

She pulled him into the big house, down the stairs, and down more stairs. Nico decided about halfway through the first flight that there were too many stairs in the house.

"You will stay there until we decide at war council." She rhymed, tossing him in the cell and locking it. She was gone before he could even ask her to take the handcuffs off.

Nico didn't know how much time passed until he saw a mop of golden hair shining in the darkness. The hair belonged to the guy he had tried to keep out of his thoughts for the majority of his visit in the cell.

"Hey, Nico, are you okay?" Will asked softly, leaning against the bars. The way Will said his name made his legs weak, his heart warm. Like it meant something. Nico chose not to say anything, his arms crossed as he leaned against the opposite wall, sitting on the cold, hard ground. Will didn't let his silence stop him.

"So a few of my siblings and I checked Reyna out again, and we all agree on one thing, she's alive. Reyna isn't dead, she just… she is just in some sort of hibernation. We've never seen anything like it. Something is happening inside there, though. Something that isn't good. That goo you shot at her, its bad news. We don't know how to break her out." Will informed Nico. That made him talk, he would speak to Will if it was about Reyna.

"She's okay now? How long will she be alright for?" Nico asked, sitting up a bit straighter. Will drew in a long breath, slowly exhaling.

"We don't know, Nico. We have no idea, but we're doing the best that we can. I'll come down here as often as I can, I swear. I need you to tell me something first." Will said, his voice still quiet. Did anyone know that he was down there? Nico nodded, a slight bob of his head, almost indecipherable in the dark of the cell.

"What happened? This isn't something that other children of Hades can do. Was your mom a goddess? It seemed like there was something controlling you. Possessing you, even. I know that you probably aren't going to tell me anything now, but knowing this is vital in helping Reyna." Will was nervous in asking this, Nico could sense his fear. He wasn't scared of Nico. He wasn't scared of the thing inside of Nico. He was scared of losing Nico.

"Erebus." Nico said simply. He didn't want to say anything else to Will. He had played him. The son of Hades was only telling him this because he wanted Reyna safe. He didn't want anything to do with the boy standing in front of him.

"Nico, what's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?" Will asked, hurt evident in his smooth voice. He obviously had no idea who Erebus was; if he did he would be more worried. Nico knew that he would look it up or ask an Athena kid about it later.

"I'm in here, awaiting my death sentence, and that's all you can think about? How I'm ignoring you?" Nico asked dubiously. Will huffed out in annoyance, his body rigid.

"They aren't going to do anything without Chiron present, you know he's still working things out with the Gods, all those agreements and what not. If I explain to them what's happening, they'll understand. Have a little faith in me." Will said with a lopsided grin. The grin took Nico's breath away, but he gained it back quickly.

"Yeah, okay. Can you leave me alone now?" Nico asked impatiently. Will blinked slowly, once, twice. Looked at Nico. Looked at the wall. Pressed his lips together. Released a breath. Turned back around to face Nico.

"What did I do, Nico? Tell me what to do so I can make it better. Please." Will's voice sounded broken. He sounded defeated. Nico took pity on him and spoke more than a few cold-hearted sentences to him.

"What Clarisse said…? Is it true? How many other people have you kissed? Am I like your last resort or something?" Nico asked, uncertainty coating his voice. Will let out a nervous, breathy laugh. Nico didn't think that the topic was a very funny one.

"No, Gods no. Nico, you are anything but my last resort. Before you… Well, I tended to flirt with just about anyone who caught my attention. You didn't catch my attention, though. You demanded it. Every relationship that I've been it, I made sure that there was an escape plan, a way to get out if I needed to. With you, I can't do that. I'm too busy trying to make sure that you like me, that you want to be with me, to even think about a way to get out. I don't want to get out, I want farther in. I've never wanted anyone or anything this much, Nico. I only want you, and it scares me." Will confessed. His words made Nico melt; he got up and was against the cell bars within a second.

"Kiss me." Nico commanded, and Will obliged more than happily. They kissed through the bars that separated them, until yells and shouting upstairs made them break away from each other quickly.

"Something's wrong…" Will was panicked, his eyes flickering upstairs.

"Go ahead." Nico said, still breathing hard from the kiss. Will managed to flash a smile at Nico before running up the stairs.

Nico was alone, again, and helpless as he heard a piercing scream.

((Author's note: Thanks for the follows, favorites, and especially the reviews! The more reviews I get, the quicker I update!


	6. Chapter 6

Nico would've gone to sleep or taken a nap in any other circumstance, but he was too worried about Will to properly relax. His body was still buzzing from the kiss, craving more contact with Will. Contact that he couldn't have, because he was currently behind bars, locked in a cold, dark cell.

He heard someone running down the stairs, and he immediately pressed against the bars, peering into the darkness. He tried to decipher who was running down the stairs, and if it was serious or not. He heard yells and several other sets of footsteps on the stairs. What was all of the commotion about?

"You can't keep him down there! He's just a kid!"

"No, let go of me!"

"He's dangerous!"

"He killed the praetor!"

"It was an accident!"

"She isn't actually dead!"

"Shut up and get out of my way!"

"We're breaking him out, and if you get in our way, you'll regret it."

The last voice was the only voice he could hear clearly. He was horrified to realize that he recognized the voice. It was the voice that had haunted his dreams for years. The voice that belonged to his first crush. The voice of Percy Jackson. He didn't know if he should've been relieved or worried. Maybe he was both, he didn't get a chance to decide as Percy burst into the room.

Percy looked good, but he didn't compare to Will. Percy was tanned; his hair had gotten longer and darker. His eyes were dark green in the light. He didn't have a camp T-shirt on; he must've just come from school.

Other people followed him. Romans and Greeks together, all shouting, yelling, and arguing. So that was what the scream was. The Romans were at camp. He hoped that it was an excited scream, coming from friends seeing each other again.

Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, Piper, and Jason crowded against the bars of his cell, asking several questions at once. Their voices blended together. Nico ignored them and peeked over their shoulders, trying to figure out who had the guts to go against five sevenths of the seven prophecy demigods. Coach Hedge, Clarisse, Ares and Athena siblings, and a few Roman campers he didn't know. They were all armed and ready for a fight, gripping their sword hilts. Coach Hedge wanted to keep Nico inside of the cell? Ouch, that hurt. After travelling, fighting, and moving a super-sized statue with someone, you'd think that you know a guy. Apparently not.

There was another set of footsteps down the stairs, and Will emerged, out of breath. He looked like he had been running for a while, his hair wind-blown. His cheeks were flushed, and Nico wanted, more than anything, to reach up and fix his hair, to press his lips against Will's. But, again, the cell he was trapped in didn't allow him to.

A high whistle pierced the air, and everyone stopped, turning to face Will. His lips curled into a charming smile as he leaned against the wall.

"Okay, guys. This is serious. Nico here, he has a deity stuck in him. Possessing him and shit." Will said. A few of the campers shot him a glare for swearing; others ignored it and openly gawked at Nico. Hazel fanned herself, her eyelashes fluttering. He would have to talk with Will after this situation, to tell him to watch his language around his half-sister. Percy didn't miss a beat.

"Yeah, so? How do we get it out?" Percy asked impatiently. Annabeth punched his arm, she was obviously refraining from rolling her eyes.

"We have to know which deity is possessing him first, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth said, actually rolling her eyes this time. She looked at Will expectantly for the answer.

"Uh… Airy bus? Hairy bust? I don't know. Tell them, Nico." Will said, completely butchering the pronunciation. There were a few giggles and chuckles heard throughout the room, but Will didn't seem to notice, his gaze settling on Nico. He swallowed, trying not to think too much about Will looking at him. Will's gaze made him nervous. And excited. And happy. His feelings went crazy when he was near Will, he couldn't help it.

"Erebus." Nico managed to choke out. There was no movement from anyone besides Annabeth. A look of recognition flashed across her face. Percy noticed, a grin on his face.

"Annabeth knows, of course." Percy grumbled. Annabeth ignored him and took a deep breath, no doubt readying herself to rattle off multiple facts.

"In the beginning there was only chaos. Then out of the void appeared Erebus, the unknowable place where death dwells, and Night. All else was empty, silent, endless, darkness. Then somehow Love was born bringing a start of order. From Love came Light and Day. Once there was Light and Day, Gaea, the earth appeared." Annabeth recited.

"So…. How do we get him out of Nico?" Percy asked, a small frown on his usually smiling face. The information seemed to go in one ear and out another with him, like usual. It used to be endearing to Nico, like a cute puppy dog tilting its head to the side, curious. Now, it bugged Nico. Maybe it was because he was trying to find all of the flaws in Percy. He didn't want to like him at all, he wanted to focus all of his attention on Will. He deserved it.

"He was never actually defeated in the myths… And he hasn't ever possessed someone before. He's the God of shadows, and Nico has been spending a fair amount of time in the shadow land. He teleported the Athena Parthenos across the world. Since that is his realm, Nico has been exposed to him for a while now." Annabeth explained. She reminded Nico of a school teacher, explaining something particularly hard to a group of students.

"We can research more about him." Malcolm offered. He was the new head of the Athena cabin, promoted after Annabeth left to finish her last year of high school with Percy. He had done well so far, but no one could beat Annabeth.

"Okay, you can do that later. But until then, we have to let Nico out. It's not his fault that something is living inside of him." Hazel argued.

"We have to think about what's best for the world, here. If we let Nico prance around, free to turn whoever he pleases into a statue, the whole world could be in danger. This God is trying to do something big. We can't let it free." Some Roman argued. Hazel's face flushed, her body tensing. Nico had never thought of Hazel as the fighting type, but she looked about ready to blow. A diamond popped up next to her foot, then a small piece of gold. No one else seemed to notice besides Nico.

"I don't prance." Nico insisted, though the wave of arguing voices drowned his words.

"He's just a boy, Tilonus. What if it were you?" Hazel asked the Roman.

"If it were me, then I would do the proper thing and stay locked up." Tilonus replied, his facial expressions upturned in a condescending sneer. Jason grabbed a fistful of the Roman's shirt and leaned down, closer to his face.

"Listen here, you little…" While Jason struggled for words, Piper rested her hand on his shoulder, effectively calming him down. He let go of Tilonus' shirt.

"Jason, he has a point. We can't risk everyone over one person. It would be irrational." Annabeth stated. She had a point.

"I am staying down here with Nico. Anyone who doesn't agree, leave. You can go guard upstairs or something." Jason said, authority plain in his voice. Anyone in their right mind would've listened. A few people started to file out.

"If this God is such a big threat, why don't we just kill the boy?" Tilonus' words stopped everyone in their tracks. A few people lunged at him all at once. Others tried to defend him. Everyone was fighting at the same time, yells and shouts coming from every direction, echoing.

Nico couldn't do a thing as an arrow flew towards him. Time seemed to slow down, but still, he couldn't do a thing.

The arrow was hypnotizing, the way it got closer and closer.

The way it zipped through the bars of his cell.

The way it headed for his chest, where his heart was.

The way it burst into a shaft of light.

The way it erupted into a million particles of sunlight.

The way the cell shone with light, illuminating everyone.

((Author's note: Okay, not exactly an exciting chapter, but I felt like it was needed. Thank you to everyone who viewed, reviewed, favorited, followed, etc. Thank you so much! Please keep the reviews coming in? I love the feedback. The more reviews, the quicker I post a chapter! I would say that I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm really not. *evil laughing*


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone squinted, shielding their eyes from the blinding light. Being the son of Apollo had its perks. Will wasn't blinded, on the contrary, he could see better than he had seen before. He turned his head to the source of light, and immediately wished that he hadn't. He didn't like the teenager leaning in the doorway casually, light emitting off of him like a beacon.

Will didn't know where the dislike came from. He usually liked everyone, he was easy-going and liked to be a person with a large amount of friends surrounding him at all times. But this kid, he was something else. He was wearing nothing except for swim shorts. They would be embarrassing on anyone else, but he rocked them in a way that Will wouldn't care to admit. They had mini suns on them, smiling, with glasses. Will usually liked that kind of portrayal of the sun, it made him want to laugh. But now, with this show-off kid wearing it, he wanted to burn the shorts. He had a mess of sun-bleached hair to go along with his sun-tanned figure. He looked like a really buff surfer.

"Who are _you_?" Will asked the teenager. No one else seemed to notice him, too pre-occupied with adjusting their eyes to the light. The guy smirked; a cocky, arrogant smirk that made Will want to punch his face in. Maybe it was his cocky personality.

"Apollo. Who are you?" He asked. Even his voice was arrogant sounding. Will's breath caught in his throat. This man was his father? This man who wasn't yet a man, who barely looked twenty? He didn't even know his own son. Will had never felt so forgotten in his life. His own father didn't even know who he was.

"Your son." Will growled out, taking a step back from Apollo. He needed space, and hitting his father wouldn't exactly be making a good impression. Apollo looked taken aback for a second, but quickly regained his composure.

"Ah, of course. Which one?" Apollo asked, cocking another infuriating grin. This time, his teeth were visible. They were dazzlingly white, almost to the point that it hurt Will's eyes.

"Will Solace." He replied. If he said anything else, he wouldn't make a good impression, and the younger campers here would most likely faint from the language being used. He clenched his jaw shut tightly, refusing it to open without his consent. He wasn't going to cuss out his dad. He wasn't going to cuss out his dad. He wasn't going to cuss out his dad. He wasn't going to cuss out his dad.

"Ah, I remember your mom. She was one of my favorites. Unfortunately, I tired of her quickly." Apollo stated, a lazy grin coming on his face. He was going to cuss out his dad. No, even better, He was going to strangle his dad. Better than that, he was going to kill his dad. Will was ready to lunge forward to attack, but a hand on his shoulder made him stop in his tracks. It was pale and cold, with a skull ring on its finger. He knew who the hand belonged to, Nico. He had forgotten all about Nico, which was a rare occurrence for him. Nico's hand was slipped in between the bars of the cell, his face compassionate.

"Will… Don't." Nico said softly. His voice was shaky, and it was then Will realized that Nico had almost been shot. If it wasn't for his dad, his boyfriend would be dead. Was the son of Hades his boyfriend? They hadn't gotten a chance to talk about it, between trauma, mishaps, Greek Gods butting their heads in their business, statues, and cells, the subject had never come up.

"He isn't worth it." Nico said quietly. Will's shoulders relaxed. Everyone was getting their vision back, blinking slowly. Percy and Jason felt their way over to Tilonus, regaining their sight slowly. Will didn't know either of them personally, but he assumed that Tilonus was in trouble.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Will asked defensively, his gaze flickering to his father again. They were close enough so that most of the demigods couldn't overhear their conversation.

"I'm filling in for Dionysus. He is free from his curse, and Zeus' punishment is for me to help out around here." Apollo replied, flashing that smile that Will hated.

"It's a punishment to us, too." Will mumbled under his breath gloomily. Apollo paid him no attention, which wasn't new.

"Okay, we are all going to have a meeting. Let the boy out." Apollo commanded. No one denied, they must've heard that he was a God. No one defied a God unless they were asking for certain death.

Clarisse trudged to the door and unlocked it, opening it wide. Nico stepped through, and Will just wanted to take the boy in his arms and never let him go again. Instead, though, he rushed to Nico's side, standing next to him. He knew that Nico had a thing against people touching him, so he would keep his distance unless he was told otherwise. It was different, liking Nico. All of the relationships he had been in were short, sweet, and to the point. He touched his girlfriends and boyfriends whenever he wanted to. They always took things quickly. This thing he had going on with Nico had boundaries, and he was constantly worried about stepping over the boundaries. He didn't want to hurt Nico in any way possible, the poor boy had been through enough. He didn't know exactly how much he had been through, but as he recalled his talk with Jason, the son of Zeus, or Jupiter, he knew that it was serious.

_It was between duties, when he allowed himself a small lunch break, when Jason came to him. Will was sitting by the lake, eating his sandwich. A hand rested on his shoulder. It wasn't the gentle touch that he was used to, it was hard and unyielding, and it held power._

_"__Will, is it? Will Solace?" The voice behind him asked. Will turned his head to look at the demigod behind him. The dude was strong, more muscular than Will was. He had electric blue eyes, a scar above his lip, and neatly maintained blonde hair. The fact that he knew his name and had sought him out worried him. _

_"__Yup. And you are?" Will asked, trying to keep up his happy, easy attitude. _

_"__Jason Grace. Can I sit and talk to you for a moment?" Jason asked politely. It was more of a command than a question. Will knew that he was going to sit down anyway. Wasn't he one of the seven? The big, strong Roman Praetor? He wasn't a Praetor anymore, if the rumors were true. He was going to alternate between camps. Couldn't this dude make up his mind?_

_"__Yeah, sure I guess. Make it quick, my lunch break ends soon. What's up?" Will asked, putting his hands down on either side of his body to steady himself as he sat, leaning back. Jason sat down next to him, his legs stretched out in front of his body. _

_"__So, you like Nico, right?" Jason asked, a dangerous edge to his voice._

_"__Yes, I like Nico as a friend." He said, emphasizing the friend part. Did Nico have some sort of relationship with the Roman?_

_"__Do you like Nico as anything more?" Jason pushed, raising an eyebrow. Will knew that his face had turned as red as one of his dad's red cows. _

_"__Why do you need to know?" Will asked defensively, crossing his arms. Jason shook his head._

_"__Listen, you better treat him right. Nico has been through more devastation than you could ever imagine. If you ever make him feel uncomfortable or sad or anything else like that, if you ever hurt him…" Jason trailed off, looking at his hands. Will looked at Jason, shocked. Nico had always claimed that no one cared for him, but Will started to realize that it wasn't the case. Though most people feared the son of Hades, others liked him. They were just too cautious to show their feelings of love towards Nico, in fear of how he would take it. _

_"__I would never do anything to hurt him, Jason. Please trust me on this. It's not like we have anything going on, but I want to have a relationship with him. I just don't know how to tell him. He's so set on the whole world hating him that he doesn't notice the people who actually care for him." Will explained, trying to puzzle things out. A smile graced Jason's face, relieved. _

_"__Good. You'll figure things out. With Nico, you have to be careful." Jason said as he got up, stretching. He patted Will on the back, walking away. What was Jason's relationship with Nico? He sensed a sort of big brother dynamic going on. Still, he couldn't help the small pit of jealousy forming inside of him, eating away at his insides. _

Will wrapped his arm around Nico protectively, his glare threatening anyone who dared come near the two. Jason and Percy had grabbed onto Tilonus' arms and hauled him into the same cell Nico had been in. He was yelling and struggling, but it was no use. Clarisse locked the door. Even stubborn Clarisse knew not to mess with the two sons of the big three when they were angry.

"Meeting! Upstairs in ten minutes!" Apollo yelled, marching up the stairs. Everyone followed, Will, Nico, Percy, Jason, Piper, Annabeth, and Hazel in the back. Will let go of Nico as he ran into his sister's arms. It was nice, seeing Nico so happy. They walked together, linked at the hands. Percy and Jason closed in on Will before he could get away quick enough. Oh Gods, another big brother talk.

"So, Will, what's going on between you and Nico?" Percy asked, giving him a very suggestive look. Will looked back, trying to find help from someone. Annabeth and Piper were behind them, talking animatedly about something and behind them was Nico and Hazel, talking in hushed whispers. Looks like he wouldn't be getting help from anyone anytime soon. Great.

"Nothing. I like him, but I don't know if he likes me back." Will murmured. Percy and Jason continued to stare at him.

"Of course he likes you back. Anyways, he looks happier, even before he saw Hazel. You did something. What did you do to him?" Jason asked.

"We kissed, but…" Percy and Jason stopped walking, causing the girls to bump into them, and then the siblings to bump into them.

"You _what_?" Percy asked loudly, his mouth hanging open. Will wanted to laugh; he looked like a cartoon character.

"A few times." He said happily, loving the shocked faces of the two boys.

"Hey, why'd you guys stop?" Annabeth asked curiously. Everyone looked up at them for a response.

"No reason." Jason said quickly. He seemed to regain his composure quicker than the shell-shocked Percy, who was struggling for words. He looked like a fish out of water.

"So you're his type? What do you have that I don't?" Percy asked childishly. Jason shushed him.

"Listen, Nico looks happy, so we're happy." Jason said, speaking for the both of them. Will exhaled in relief.

"Hurry up, guys! I want to get to the meeting in time!" Piper yelled. They continued their trek up the stairs.

((Author's note: Thank you guys so much! Please continue to review, follow, favorite, it's appreciated!))


	8. Chapter 8

((Author's Note: If you aren't in a good place right now emotional wise, please do not read. Trigger warning. Suicide attempt, gory kind of I guess? Kind of depressing things. Skip if you don't want to read. I also need opinions on whether not this should be rated M or T now because of this chapter. Thank you.))

The meeting was boring. Like, really boring. He had sat with Nico, holding his hand possessively the whole time. The meeting was just his father explaining the situation, Apollo was banished from Olympus and to Camp Half Blood for a while, Dionysus was free. Will knew that he shouldn't think that about his father, but he did. He couldn't stop replaying his father's words, even in his sleep that night. Insult after insult, comment after comment, pain stacking up quickly.

Will woke up in a cold sweat, his body shaking, his eyes snapping open. He looked around quickly, trying to calm his quick breathing, but it was no use, he was already up. It was in the middle of the night, everyone was most likely asleep, but Will got up anyway, he would check on Nico. It was the first night that Nico wasn't in a cell or the infirmary.

Shoving on a robe, he crept outside. His robe was yellow, and he only had boxers on under them, but he didn't care. Nico would probably care, but Will was already almost to his Cabin, he couldn't turn back.

He didn't bother to knock on the door, in fear of waking Nico up. Nico needed as much sleep as he could get, plus some sun. Will pushed through the door and blinked, the lights were on. Why were the lights on? Where was Nico?

The beds were all empty. One of them had rumpled sheets, like someone was recently there. Panic rose in Will's chest quickly.

"Nico?" Will whispered, too afraid to yell. The bathroom door was open, and Will glanced inside, afraid of what he would find. Harsh breathing, the stench of blood, and sobs pierced the air.

Nico was leaning against the wall, holding a gun to his head. The gun, along with his hand, was shaking like a leaf in the wind. His face was blotchy, his eyes bloodshot and watery. Nico's finger was pressed against the trigger; a small movement could cause the end of him. Blood stained his leg; Will realized that the wall he was leaning against was the only thing supporting him. Will froze in the doorway, his hand resting on the doorknob.

Nico looked at him helplessly. Nico looked defeated, like this was the last option, the only thing that he could do. His eyes portrayed his sadness more clearly than the gun to his head did. Wide, innocent yet not so much, and broken. Shattered, like a million shards of hopelessness. He looked like he just came from a lifetime of the Fields of Punishment.

"Nico… Put the gun down. Now." Will commanded, starting to shake, just like Nico was doing. Nico would not die. He was not going to die on Will's watch.

"N-No, Will, I can't. You don't understand. You don't understand, no one understands me! You'll never understand! Get out!" Nico screamed, his voice weak, frail, tortured. Will flinched, putting his hands up, a peace sign, showing that he wouldn't try anything.

"Nico, please, put the gun down, we can talk things out. I swear, I'll do anything for you, just put it down. I love you, please. I love you. Don't do this, I can help you." Will pleaded, feeling his eyes get moist. He was crying, but he couldn't do anything about it.

"No, I have to do this. Don't be stupid, I have to kill myself, or everyone else is going to die." Nico said softly. Will couldn't believe what he was saying, but he had to keep talking, keep stalling for time. He couldn't let Nico do this to himself. He needed Nico. It was selfish, sure. He was keeping Nico from what he really wanted, just because he loved him. He definitely would be happier in the Underworld. But Will couldn't let him.

"Why do you have to kill yourself? What do you mean?" Will asked quickly.

"Erebus. He's going to kill everyone. They were right, I need to die. If I die, everyone is safe, he can't possess anyone anymore." Nico said shakily. Will suddenly couldn't breathe. Was Nico really that heroic? He didn't know anyone else who would give up their life like that. It was such a tragically heroic thing to do. Will knew that he wouldn't have done it, if he was in Nico's shoes.

"We're working on it, Nico. Everyone is helping; they're researching ways to get him out of you as we speak. This isn't the answer." He said softly, trying to persuade Nico. He thought that it was working, too, until the slight movement of his hand warned him something was about to go terribly wrong.

"Nico, no!" Will screamed, diving forward just as the trigger was pulled. Will managed to move the direction of the gun, but to no avail. The shot went through Nico's chest. Nico jerked back from the blast, smacking against the wall and thudding limply to the ground. There was no life in his body; Will could sense it as acutely as he could sense Nico's dead body in front of him. He was too late, Will was too late. There was nothing he could do.

Will kneeled down in front of him, resting Nico's head in his lap. Will leaned down and sobbed, clinging to the frail, cold, dead body of Nico diAngelo.

Hazel and Frank were in the infirmary, trying to assess the damage to Reyna. A Praetor and a daughter of Hades could surely crack this case, no pun intended. They were holding hands over the table that they were sitting at, studying page after page of text. It was all useless information so far, nothing that could help them save the Praetor. Hazel was distracted, twirling her hair around her finger. Frank noticed, but didn't say anything for a while, until he knew for sure that she was anxious about something. Finally, he looked up from the book.

His vision was blurred from staring at the lines of text for so long, but it quickly adjusted, showing his beautiful girlfriend. Her cinnamon hair was frizzy from the recent humidity, her eyes pure gold. She looked like a goddess sent straight from Elysium. Frank still couldn't believe that she was all his; he was the luckiest guy in the world.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly. She looked up, their eyes locking onto each other's. She chewed anxiously on her lip.

"Something's wrong with Nico. I don't have a good feeling about it. He's… He's sad, I think." She said quietly, her hands not quitting the antics on her hair. Frank must've looked confused, because Hazel elaborated.

"Ever since he brought me back from… well, you know… I can feel what he feels. I don't like to tell anyone, because it's just another reason for someone to laugh at us and call us weird. He never wanted me to tell anyone about it, too, so I didn't. We don't feel each other's physical pain, as far as I know." She explained, a puzzled expression on her face.

"But isn't Nico always sad? I don't mean to be blunt or anything, your bro is great, seriously, and he has a ton to feel sad about." Frank blabbered on, stopped by Hazel's sudden scream of pain. It was gut-wrenching.

She pulled away and fell out of her chair, holing her head, gasping sobs escaping her lips.

"Hazel? Hazel?!" Frank yelled, pushing out of his chair and coming to kneel by her side as she clutched her head. He glanced at her body, no wounds, no blood, no bruises or scrapes or cuts. What was wrong with her? Extreme migraine or something? Frank whispered soothing words to her as she slowly started to feel better. Soon, she pulled her hands away from her head and wiped at her tears, her hands shaking as she did so.

"What happened?" Frank asked, his eyebrows knitted in concern.

"Nico. It's Nico, we need to find him, something happened." She said quickly, scrambling up. Frank scooped her up into his arms, running out of the infirmary. He sprinted to the Hades cabin, flung open to the door to the cabin, and looked around. He heard muffled whimpers and cries coming from the bathroom. That didn't sound good at all. He set Hazel down, making sure that she could walk before he drew his sword, walking into the bathroom cautiously. Blood stained the tiled floor and the wallpapered wall. A gun was lying next to the bloody, dark haired boy. Will's body shook with tortured sobs, cradling the boy's dead body.

"No." Hazel whispered softly, in shock.

"No! No! You're a son of Apollo! Fix him! Fix him right now, you better fix him! Fix him, Will! Why won't you fix him! Fix him now!" Hazel shrieked, on the verge of sanity and insanity, teetering on the edge, walking the line. Frank wrapped his arms around her waist as she lunged at Will, screaming every Latin curse that she knew. Frank had never heard Hazel curse before, whenever someone else swore, her face always flushed red and she would fan herself, her eyelashes fluttering. Now, she was swearing worse than a sailor. Her body shook as she cried, Frank the only thing keeping her from jumping on Will.

"He's dead, he's already dead. There's nothing I can do, Hazel." Will said softly, his voice cracking. He must've been crying for a while.

"He's a son of Hades, he can't be dead!" Hazel screamed, fighting against her boyfriend's strong grip.

Will closed his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could. He had done it with plants before, brought them back to life in the foster home that he lived in before he went to camp. He hadn't tried anything like that for years, but he was going to try. Nico was not leaving him that easily.

Will pressed his hand on Nico's chest wound, pressing down hard. Memories of the boy flashed throughout his mind. A quick smile. A shared laugh. Yelling. Fighting. Kissing. The way he looked when he slept. How selfless he was. Nico diAngelo was going to live.

Will's body burst into light. Frank and Hazel stumbled back, falling on top of each other. The light was blinding.

The wounds on his chest and leg healed immediately. He rose a foot off of the ground, his back arched. Light poured out of Nico as well, but Will didn't notice, his eyes were screwed shut in concentration. Nico's eyes were open, wide and frightened. Will continued to heal him, until his power diminished all too quickly. Nico dropped to the ground, groaning out in pain.

Will's eyes snapped open as he heard the sound of pain, looking down at the boy. He didn't look like he used to. His skin was tanned. His hair was lighter, not black anymore, but black.

The most stunning thing, though, were his eyes. They were pure gold, shining in the dim light of the bathroom.

((Author's Note: No updates for a week, sorry guys, I'm going on vacation! Anyways, I'm still not entirely sure that I should continue this story. Feedback is really, really, super appreciated! Thank you for reading! Tell friends, review, read some more, follow, favorite, anything really! Much appreciated!))


	9. Chapter 9

Time slowed down for Nico, when he pulled the trigger. Everything was slowed down; he had time to admire Will's perfect face one last time before the darkness swallowed him whole. It was almost like a dream.

_He was back in his father's throne room, looking up at the imposing figure of Hades. Nico felt cold, so cold. Darkness crept throughout his body, crawling down his spine. Goosebumps erupted on Nico's skin, and when he tried to rub them away, he was surprised to find that he was transparent. He was dead for sure this time, there was no going back._

_"__I admire your decision, son. A courageous one." His voice was hoarse. If Nico didn't know better, he would've thought that his old man was sad. That couldn't be right. He was the king of the underworld, seeing his son off to his grave. _

_"__There was nothing else I could've done. The choice was clear." Nico said quietly. He couldn't believe the fact that he was dead. He was far too young; he hadn't gotten a chance to fully live his life. The thought pained him. Bianca was young, too, when she died. Bianca. The name was a stinging slap to his face every time he heard it. _

_Hades swiped his hair, and a projection showed up, in mid-air, floating above Hades' throne. Nico's limp body was being held in Will's arms. His sobs were shards of ice digging their way into his chest. Frank and Hazel soon entered the holographic room. The shards left his body, just to plunge deeper into his skin. Nico actually gasped in pain, his emotions were killing him as he watched his half-sister cry over his dead body. _

_"__Dad…" Nico started, trying out the words. They sounded different in his mouth, foreign. Dad. Dad, dad, dad. Nico distanced himself from most people, which included Hades. Now there was no need to distance himself. It was too late._

_"__Is he gone? Is Erebus gone?" Nico asked, watching his father carefully. He was sure not to move his eyes to the projection or he would go mad with grief._

_Hades' eyebrows furrowed together, he looked drawn into a world of thought. Just when he opened his mouth to say something, a blinding light filled the throne room. _

_Was it Nico's time to leave? Was he gone so easily? He didn't want to die, but it was necessary. _

_"__I love you, dad." Nico whispered. If that was the last sentence he spoke to his dad, so be it. He wanted his dad to know. _

Nico woke up from the dead few seconds after the light ceased. He was in the bathroom, gasping in mouthfuls of sweet air. It was a shame, how much air was overlooked. So simple, but still needed to survive. Air was taken for granted. Nico decided that he would never take air for granted again.

Beauty was another thing that was overlooked. Nothing was ever enough; no one was ever perfect enough for other people's standards. Will, though, was pure beauty, even with his mouth hanging open, his beautiful eyes practically bugging out of his head in surprise. Nico was not going to take this god-like boy for granted, either. He was going to make the most of every minute, second, millisecond of his remaining life.

Nico propped himself up on his elbows and smashed his lips into Will's, hard enough to bruise. Will's arms looped around Nico, and there it began. The most passionate kiss that they had ever shared.

Teeth, tongue, lips clashing together. Their bodies moved in sync, small gasps of breath taken here and there.

Nico could've sworn that he died all over again and went to Elysium, the way Will was kissing him. They kissed like there was no one else in the world. They kissed like they were long-lost lovers, reunited at last. They kissed like the only refuge from the world was each other's embrace, each other's lips.

Will's hands felt like they were catching Nico's body on fire, they were everywhere and nowhere, overwhelming but not enough, too close but way too far away. His touches, his kisses, the essence of him, it was intoxicating.

_'__I love you, I love you, I love you. You are so stupid. I love you.'_ A soft voice echoed in Nico's mind, inside of his thoughts. It wasn't Nico's voice. It wasn't Erebus's voice. It was the voice of Will Solace. How in the Hades was that able to happen? Nico pulled away from Will with a gasp, backing up. There were both covered I Nico's blood, it was on the floor and the wall, on their clothes and their skin, under their fingernails and smudged along their faces.

Panic rose in Nico's throat. Sure, he was alive. Sure, he had just had the hottest kiss of his life with his true love. Sure, he was lucky. But he couldn't help feeling… different.

Nico panted for breath, trying to take in as much as he could. His lungs felt like they were collapsing. No, not exactly collapsing. The tubes, the airways that carried the vital air through them, they felt constricted. They were like the straws that get a piece of ice or part of your drink stuck for good. You keep sucking and sucking, but it never does any good, besides the fact that it is lodging it deeper and deeper inside, until you just decide to blow it instead of sucking the air, and then…

Nico found himself on the ground, coughing hard. He could breathe again; it was possible to breathe again. He was okay. It was going to be fine. He was going to be fine. Everyone would be A-Okay.

_'__I can hear you in my mind. Can you hear me, too?' _A curious voice asked, reverberating throughout his body. Nico swallowed and nodded to Will.

"How did you…" Nico trailed off. His mind must've supplied the rest of the question, because Will was ready with an answer in no time.

"I don't know, I used to try it on…"

_'__Plants. I did it at the orphanage-'_

_"__I lived in." _Will continued. The sentence was varied, some words spoken out loud, some words secretly shared between the two.

"Will, that's extraordinary. Apollo kids don't usually have that power. Actually, they never have that power. It's unheard of. I don't even think that's possible." Nico murmured, still in awe.

"Your mom… She was a demigod or a god, I assume. There's no way that you got that just from Apollo." Nico continued to try to figure it out, shaping the puzzle pieces together.

"Your eyes were golden, when you woke up. Just for a second, then they were back to normal." Will said quietly. Nico stopped talking and focused his attention on Will.

"Huh?"

"When you un-died. Your eyes were golden. You hair is a dark brown instead of black. Your skin is super tan. You are still skinny, but you don't look like you're on the verge of death, like before…"

"Hey!"

"Just stating the facts. Anyways,"

"Who's your mom, Will?" Nico demanded to know. He wasn't going to play games with him. He wanted an answer, and he intended to get an answer, right at that very moment.

"You don't need to know about my mom right now, I'll tell you some other time."

"You have to tell me now, Will."

"It isn't that important right now, I'll save it for a rainy day or something…" Will trailed off, giving Nico a sheepish smile. The smile dropped, though, as he saw the look on Nico's face.

"William Thomas Solace, you will tell me right now who your mother is."

"You sound like a mom right now, does that count?" Will asked dryly. Nico looked just about ready to throttle him.

A weak mumble came from Will's lips, two syllables of something indecipherable.

"Come again?" Nico said, his arms crossed. Will's voice was a pitch louder this time, but still blurred out.

"So help me, Solace, I will send you straight to Tartarus." Nico threatened, but it was obviously a lie. Anyone who knew Nico knew that he could never be that heartless, even if he tried to act that way.

"Chaos. My mother is Chaos." Will admitted just as campers flooded into the room, led by Frank and Hazel. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks as they heard the sentence uttered from Will. If a pin dropped, they would be able to hear it. A bird chirped somewhere far off in the distance. The sound of a cricket. The rustle of the grass and the trees as the wind blew through them. The sound of breath being held. The creak of a floorboard. That was the only sound that anyone in the cabin could hear.

The worst Greek deity there ever was, and it had birthed Will? Sweet, caring, sensitive, adorable Will? It was unbelievable.

((Author's note: Thanks for being patient, guys! I just got back a few hours ago. I probably made a few mistakes in writing, this is definitely not my best piece, I'm telling you that. Sorry for the crap I guess? Hopefully, next chapter will be better. Please, please, please keep reviewing! Cather guessed my plot lol thanks for ruining it! xD Anyways, please please please review, view, favorite, follow, etc. Thanks for reading! PS, would you read something that I wrote about the next generation of demigods, AKA the kids of the seven+their friends? Yes? NO? Should I do it?


End file.
